It’s October, and baseball fans everywhere know what that means: Major League Baseball has entered another postseason that’s bound to be filled with excitement and adversity on the diamond as the league’s best teams go head-to-head in the hunt for a World Series title.
You definitely will not want to miss a swing, strike, slide or homer during the 2026 MLB postseason. Here’s our guide to catching all of the action live on TV.
When did the 2026 MLB Playoffs Start?
The 2026 MLB playoffs started on September 29, 2026, and could run through October 31 if the World Series goes to Game 7. The World Series is scheduled to begin Friday, October 23.
Ready for the MLB playoffs? Get access to the most local MLB games plus national, regional and local sports channels with DIRECTV. Call it a grand slam. Get started now.
How to Watch the 2026 MLB Playoffs
The 2026 MLB Playoffs and World Series will be available to watch across NBC, Peacock, FOX, FS1, TBS, truTV and HBO Max, depending on the round. The Wild Card Series aired across NBC Sports platforms, while the Division Series and League Championship Series are split between FOX Sports and TNT Sports. The World Series will air on FOX.
- NBC: Find your local NBC affiliate
- FOX: Find your FOX affiliate channel
- FOX Sports 1 (FS1): DIRECTV 219
- TBS: DIRECTV 247
- truTV: DIRECTV 246
Here’s a full breakdown of where to watch all of the games in the 2026 MLB Playoffs based on round and league:
| Series | League | Channels/Streaming Services |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | All | NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Network |
| Division Series | American League | TBS, truTV, HBO Max |
| National League | FOX, FS1, FOX One | |
| League Championship Series | American League | TBS, truTV, HBO Max |
| National League | FOX, FS1, FOX One | |
| World Series | – | FOX, FOX One |
2026 MLB Playoffs Full Schedule & Results
*If necessary
2026 World Series (Oct. 23-31)
The 2026 World Series begins Friday, October 23. The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers will meet in the best-of-seven series, with all games airing on FOX.
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026
- Game 1: Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
- Game 2: Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Monday, Oct. 26, 2026
- Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers at Tampa Bay Rays — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026
- Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers at Tampa Bay Rays — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026*
- Game 5: Milwaukee Brewers at Tampa Bay Rays — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026*
- Game 6: Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026*
- Game 7: Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers — 8 p.m. ET — FOX
Prior Rounds Results
Wild Card Series (Sept. 29-Oct. 1)
The MLB Wild Card is a best-of-three series. The higher seed maintains home-field advantage throughout the series, with the winner advancing to the Division Series.
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
- Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (NL) — Braves (5-3)
- Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros (AL) — White Sox (6-3)
- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (AL) — Yankees (9-0)
- Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres (NL) — Padres (8-0)
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026
- Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (NL) — Phillies (4-3)
- Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros (AL) — White Sox (7-3) — White Sox win series 2-0
- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (AL) — Yankees (9-2) — Yankees win series 2-0
- Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres (NL) — Padres (4-1) — Padres win series 2-0
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
- Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (NL) — Braves (6-2) — Braves win series 2-1
Division Series (Oct. 3-10)
The Division Series is a best-of-five series, with the first team to win three games advancing to the League Championship Series.
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
- Game 1: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians — White Sox (3-0)
- Game 1: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers — Dodgers (5-3)
- Game 1: New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays — Rays (1-0)
- Game 1: San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers — Brewers (3-2)
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026
- Game 2: San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers — Brewers (4-3)
- Game 2: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers — Braves (3-2)
Monday, Oct. 5, 2026
- Game 2: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians — White Sox (4-3)
- Game 2: New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays — Rays (5-2)
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
- Game 3: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves — Dodgers (3-1)
- Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres — Padres (4-3)
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026
- Game 3: Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox — Guardians (9-3)
- Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves — Dodgers (4-1) — Dodgers win series 3-1
- Game 3: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees — Rays (4-3) — Rays win series 3-0
- Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres — Brewers (3-1) — Brewers win series 3-1
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
- Game 4: Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox — Guardians (9-5)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
- Game 5: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians — Guardians (2-0) — Guardians win series 3-2
League Championship Series (Oct. 11-19)
The winners of the Division Series advanced to the League Championship Series, where the final two teams in each league competed in a best-of-seven series for a spot in the World Series. The National League Championship Series began October 11, while the American League Championship Series began October 12.
Sunday, Oct. 11
- NLCS Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers — Brewers (2-1)
Monday, Oct. 12
- ALCS Game 1: Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays — Guardians (7-3)
- NLCS Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers — Brewers (7-4)
Tuesday, Oct. 13
- ALCS Game 2: Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays — Rays (3-1)
Wednesday, Oct. 14
- NLCS Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers — Brewers (6-2)
Thursday, Oct. 15
- ALCS Game 3: Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians — Guardians (3-2)
- NLCS Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers — Brewers (6-4) — Brewers win series 4-0
Saturday, Oct. 17
- ALCS Game 4: Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians — Rays (7-3)
Sunday, Oct. 18
- ALCS Game 5: Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians — Rays (3-1)
Monday, Oct. 19
- ALCS Game 6: Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays — Rays (7-3) — Rays win series 4-2
What Teams Are in the 2026 MLB Playoffs?
Here are the teams that made the 2026 MLB postseason. Strikethrough indicates elimination.
American League
National League
- Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles DodgersAtlanta BravesSan Diego PadresChicago CubsPhiladelphia Phillies
Who Won the 2025 World Series?
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games to claim their second consecutive World Series title.
Toronto took a 3-2 series lead after winning Games 4 and 5, but Los Angeles fought back with a 3-1 win in Game 6 before taking the decisive Game 7, 5-4. The championship marked the Dodgers’ second straight World Series win after defeating the New York Yankees in 2024.
How Do the MLB Playoffs Work?
The playoffs immediately follow the conclusion of MLB’s 162-game regular season. The top 12 teams move on to the MLB playoffs — six from the American League and six from the National League. The playoffs are contested over four rounds of series between the qualifying teams, starting with the Wild Card Series and ending with the World Series.
The three division winners in each league are seeded 1 through 3 based on their regular-season records. The next three teams with the best records, regardless of division, earn Wild Card spots and are seeded 4 through 6. The top two division winners in each league receive first-round byes and automatically advance to the Division Series.
The 3-seed hosts the 6-seed in the Wild Card Series, while the 4-seed hosts the 5-seed. Each Wild Card matchup is a best-of-three series, with all games played at the higher seed’s ballpark. The winner of the 4- versus 5-seed series advances to face the 1-seed in the Division Series, while the winner of the 3- versus 6-seed series faces the 2-seed.
The Division Series is a best-of-five, followed by the best-of-seven American League and National League Championship Series. The winners of the ALCS and NLCS then meet in the best-of-seven World Series.
Watch the MLB Postseason with DIRECTV
The World Series begins October 23, and you don’t want to miss it. You can make sure you catch all of the games with a subscription to DIRECTV. With the most local MLB games, plus MLB Strike Zone™ and MLB Network®, you’ll have no problem keeping your head in the game.
Interested in a service that lets you access live sports, and only live sports, and includes ESPN Unlimited? Try MySports® Genre Pack® with a 5-day free trial today!
Frequently asked questions
When do the MLB playoffs happen?
How can I watch MLB playoff games?
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
